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Kaiser Permanente will break ground June 17 on the Kaiser Westside Medical Center, the long-awaited medical facility planned for the Tanasbourne area in eastern Hillsboro.

Kaiser recently completed designs and internal approvals for the project, which has an estimated cost of $242 million.

The new hospital will complement Kaiser’s primary hospital, Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, which is in Clackamas. The first phase will open in 2013.

The 126-bed Westside facility will have an emergency care unit, general medical and surgical units, a maternity unit, in-patient diagnostic facilities and a pharmacy. Future expansions will likely add more beds.

The new hospital will be built at 19400 N.W. Evergreen Parkway, near a 15-acre campus near Kaiser’s existing Sunset Medical Office Building.

The Oregon Department of Human Services approved plans for a 138-bed version of the hospital more than two years ago. The project has awaited final approval from Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser since then.

Its design is based on a template used by Kaiser throughout its system. The $242 million cost is 15 percent lower than the original $285 million estimate. Kaiser officials said a favorable bid climate and improved plans brought down the cost.

Kaiser serves 474,000 medical members and 179,000 dental members in the Portland area.

Excise regimen

Metro’s council could extend a construction excise tax that will help fund the regional government’s planning efforts.

The council, which will vote on the matter June 11, is looking to renew the tax that’s applied to building permits issued by local governments within Metro. The tax is 0.12 percent on building permits valued at $100,000 or higher. Metro caps the tax at $12,000, for permits on projects valued at more than $10 million.

The proposal would extend the tax for five more years and raise between $7 million and $10 million.

Projects related to affordable housing developments and buildings for nonprofits that serve low-income populations are exempt. The money pays for planning related to the area’s employment areas, as well as the urban growth boundary’s expansion areas.

The proposal has drawn opposition from the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, which backs using the money for planning in the expanded urban growth boundary but disagreed that it should be used for other purposes.

Rush of residents

A new report predicts the region will add more than 714,000 new residents by 2025 — a 34 percent increase that would bring the population to 2.8 million.

Even at that rapid pace, the Portland region would become only the 55th-fastest growing metro in the country. Salem is projected to grow even faster, adding more than 133,000 residents, a 36 percent increase.

The study — done by the online division of American City Business Journals, parent company of Portland Business Journal — says Raleigh, N.C., will set the fastest pace of any metro area.

The three-county Raleigh region will virtually double its population. It had 953,000 residents in 2005, but should be closing in on 1.9 million by 2025. That’s an increase of 97.7 percent.

Five other areas are projected to increase their populations by more than 80 percent between 2005 and 2025. They are, in order of growth rate: Provo, Utah; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.; Ocala, Fla.; Austin; and Port St. Lucie, Fla.

The entire package, including a look at 250 metro areas with the biggest projected gains and losses, can be found at http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/80.html.

That’s a lot of Dimes

The Greater Oregon chapter of the March of Dimes is one of three in the nation to exceed budget for its most significant fund raiser, the annual series of March for Babies walks.

The series of 20 walks, conducted between April and June, raised more than $1.3 million, or 4 percent more than budget, said Michele Larsen, communications director for March of Dimes in Oregon. The nonprofit works to prevent birth defects and premature birth.

Even the March of Dimes was surprised by the response to its 2009 campaign, given that Oregon has the nation’s second highest unemployment rate.

The campaign was led by Greg Goodwin, CEO of Vancouver-based Kuni Automotive.

March of Dimes employs 12 and has a 2009 budget of almost $2 million.

They feel like 2.5M bucks

The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest is celebrating what it calls a milestone.

The Portland-based foundation, which has 51 member companies throughout the Northwest, has now contributed $2.5 million in cash, donated goods and volunteer hours to 95 community organizations.

The foundation helps organizations develop strategies for community involvement. Companies join for a small annual fee or by contributing equity that the foundation holds until liquidity and then distributes as directed by the company. Its annual budget is $100,000.

It appointed Lisa Sloan, the organization’s former director of community involvement, as its new CEO last month.

Seasons Greenings

Marylhurst University has, education-wise, entered the realm of sustainability.

Inspired by the federal stimulus package’s link to all things green, the West Linn-based school will offer its sustainable business master’s of business administration online. The program will feature courses on renewable energy, green development, natural resources and public policy.

Classes begin June 22.

Administrators pointed out that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide some $62 billion in direct spending on sustainable initiatives. The bill also steers $500 million toward the creation of green jobs, such as those related to renewable energy forms.

The program becomes Marylhurst’s second online-only program. It also offers a Web-based real estate degree curriculum.

Marylhurst, which had 1,500 students last year, recently completed a $20 million capital campaign. It operates on an annual $19 million budget.

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